Foundation garment



Filed July 21, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG lNvl-:NToR

.WALpf/vn/e Kops BY l ATTORNEY Filed July 21, 1938 '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Flc-3.4.

INVENTOR WHL .PF/11,45" APJ ATTORN EY Aug. 15, 1939. Kops 2,169,585

` FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed July 2l, 1938 3 Sheets- Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES FOUNDATION GARMENT Waldemar Kops, New York, N. Y., assigner to Kops Brothers, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 21, 1938, Serial N0. 220,421

4 Claims.

The invention relates to garments of the corset or foundation type and more particularly to garments of this character designed to provide a narrow and well-defined waistline.

Present fashions necessitate foundation garments with narrower and tighter waists. For women who have been accustomed to a relatively free Waist, these styles present a problem in llt as well as in comfort. Combination garments and high waistline girdles designed to mould a trim waistline require special care in fitting, and even when fitted most expertly often prove uncomfortable to the wearer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a foundation garment which will mould the waistline gently, producing a well-defined, trim gure, while at the same time permitting maximum freedom of movement.

A more specific object is to provide a garment of the character described which gently but iirmly moulds the waistline while giving greater adjustability below the waistline.

A further object is to provide improvements. in foundation garments of the self-adjusting type.

the description proceeds. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a girdle embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is aback view of the same girdle; and Fig. 3 an enlarged detail sectional view through the rear of the garment at the waistline, taken as indicated at 3-3in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a back view of a combination garment embodying the invention in a somewhat different form; and

Fig. 5 is a back view of a girdle representing another embodiment of the invention.

In accordance with my invention, the-back of the garment is provided inthe region of the waistline with anfelastic section yieldable laterally of the garment, this elastic portion extending across the back and adjoining, at its lower edge, a lower back section whichv is substantially inelastic laterally but which may be elastic longitudinally. At the center of the back Ithe laterally elastic section extends down into the laterally inelastic section to provide adjustability and producing clear definition of the waistline, while permitting greater freedom below it.

Referring now to the several s pecic embodiments selected for the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in Figs. 1 to 3 a high waistline girdle comprising an inelastic front section Ill, inelastic back section II, and laterally elastic back section I2. 'I'he front and 55 back sections are joined together by side vsections Other objects and advantages will appear as' I3 formed of material arranged to provide for lateral stretch, i. e., for elasticity circumferentially of the girdle. The directions of stretch of thel several sections of the garment are indicated by the arrows'. If desired, the back 5 section II may be elasticV longitudinally, but whether or not it is elastic in this direction'it should be substantially inelastic laterally. The side sections I3, on the other hand, may bemade of two-way stretch material to provide both latl0.

eral and longitudinal elasticity, or they may be elastic only in the lateral, or circumferential, direction.

'I'he several sections are stitched together, the back sections Il and I2 being connected by a 15 seam Il which may comprise a single or multiple row of stitching,'and they other sections being similarly joined. As shown, the side sections I3 are joined to the back sections II and I2 by double rows of stitching I5, the seam preferably being reinforced by a suitable tape; The front. section lll is connected to the side sections I3by means of similar seams I6. The individual seo'- tions may comprise two thicknesses of material, or` may consist of only one thickness of single or double weight. In the garment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the back section I2 and side sections I3 are made of a single layer of material, whereas the front and back sections III and II are each made with separate lining pieces which may be stitched into the seams I4, I5, and I6. The two thicknesses of the back section' I I are also stitched together at the bottom edge seam I1; and the two thicknesses of the front section III are stitched together at the top -seam I8. The lower edge of the front lining section preferably terminates short of the bottom of the covering piece, and has a separate bottom edge seam I9 which is unattached to the covering piece. 1

The front section I0 may be made of a continuous piece of fabric or of a number of individual sections 20, 2|, and 22 stitched together as at 23. The front is preferably provided with a slide fastener 24 which may extend from the top of the garment downwardly, and which conveniently may be arranged along one of the seams 23. Other forms of fastener may be employed if desired, and where the slide fastener is employed, it may be supplemented by hooks and eyes or other fasteners arranged to initially engage the edges 0f the openings to assist in application of the garment.

An important feature of myconstruction resides in the particular cooperation between the 'inelastic back section II.

tends across the top of the section II in the region of the waistline, and at its center extends down into the laterally inelastic section to form a portion 25 which preferably is of generally triangular form. The section I2 may extend some distance below the top of section I I, its lower edge being indicated at 26 in Fig. 2. This lower edge, however, is not attached to the section I I except where it is bound into the vertical seams. The two sections are stitched together at I4, as previously described, and also along the edges of the triangular portion at 21. 'I'his construction provides a clear denition of the waistline while permitting greater adjustability below it. This is true both Where the back section II is longitudinally elastic and where it is longitudinally inelastic, it -being essential, however, that-the section II be laterally inelastic, or substantially so.

lThe construction thus far described with reference to Figs. l to 3 is applicable to garments which are made without the use of stays, but it is applicable also where stays are employed. In the speciilc embodiment illustrated, stays are employed in the front, back, and side sections. In the front, stays 28 are carried in suitable pockets formed in the lining piece by tapes 29 stitched thereto (Fig. 2'). 'I'hese stays,.as well as the other stays to be described, can be made in a single piece or they can be made in a number of separate sections as may be desired. It will vbe observed that the stays 28.are invisible by reason of their location in the separate lining, the stitches of the stay pockets not coming through the front of the garment. Stays q30 are arranged near the tops of the side sections I3, being carried in suitable pockets formed therein, as by means of tapes stitched to the back thereof. If desired, however, these stays may be arranged in pockets formed in the vertical seams between'the sections I3 and the front or back of the garment. Back stays 3l are similarly arranged in the sections II and I2. These stays may be made in separate sections as, for example. by arranging short sections in the laterally velasticsection I2 which are separate from the stays in the main back -section II. Another alternative is to have short stays in the laterally elastic section I2, omitting the stays in section II.

This is particularly desirable, for example, where longitudinally elastic material is used in the section II. When the stays 3| are made in a single piece, they may be ilared outwardly at their upper ends so that they will conform to the curvature of the back and thus avoid having their upper ends dig into the back of the wearer.

The front section III is provided with a triangular gore at its lower edge to receive a circumferentially elastic crotch section 32 which is connected thereto by stitching 33. The seam formed by this stitching may be reinforced by providing a Vtape backing, or in any other suitable manner. The gore 32 preferably is formed of a double piece of material with the fold arranged along the bottom edge so that no seam need be provided at this point.

Suitable ,garter attachments 34 may be proalready been described with reference to Figs. l

to 3. .The garment comprises, in its general arrangement, a laterally elastic top backsection 35 arranged in the region of the waistline and extending thereabove, a laterally inelastic back section 36, and a front section 31, the front and back sections being bound together by laterally elastic side sections 38. The laterally inelastic back section 36 is longitudinally elastic. The directions of stretch of the several sections of the garment are indicated by the arrows. The sections 35 and 36 are connected by stitching 39, which may be reinforced, and the back, side and front sections are stitched together by longitudinal reinforced seams 40.

In the region of the waistline, the laterally elastic section 35 extends into a notch 4I formed in the upper edge of the laterally inelastic section 36. As in the case of the embodiment previously described, this construction provides clear definition of the waistline while permitting maximum freedom of movement. The laterally elastic extension permits greater adjustability below the waistline While the laterally inelastic upper portion of the section 36 assists in gently moulding the waistline, producing a well-dened, trim ilgure. The edges of the various sections are provided with seams along the lower edge of the garment as at 42, and similar seams are provided along the top of the garment, care being taken, however, not to interfere with the lateral stretch of the section 35.

The garment is provided with a brassire top 43, which may be of any suitable construction, and with shoulder straps 44.

It will be understood that the back section 36 of this garment could be made of inelastic material, such as described in connection with Figs.

- l, 2, and 3, and be provided with suitable stays having one or more sections and being 'retained either ilxedly or iloatably in pockets formed therein, or formed in the lining thereof. In other words, the speciilc features of construction described in connection with the girdle can bea embodied in the combination type of garment.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated another embodiment of the invention in the form of a girdle, the garment being shown fromthe back. This garment comprises a front section 45, laterally elastic side sections 46, anda back made up of a laterally elastic waist section 41 and a laterally inelastic lower section 48. This is a high waistline garment, and the sections 41 and 48 are stitched together in the region of the ,waistline at 49. At the center, however, section 41 extends below the seam'49 providing an elastic portion 50 in the top of the section- 48. ,The section 48 is indicated as being formed of inelastic material, although if de. sired, it may be formed of material which is elastic longitudinally b'ut not laterally. I prefer to form it of material which is non-elastic in either direction, however, to better adapt it to the use of stays in the manner to be disclosed. The

back sections 41 and 48 are stitched to the side sections 46, providing seams 5I, which may be backed with tapes or otherwise reinforced. Stays 52 are stitched into pockets formed in the inelastic back section 48, or these stays may be provided in an inner lining so as to be invisible. These stays may be either fixed or iloating, and it will be seen that they are arranged at either side of the portion 50. Stays 53 extend along the edges of the portion 58 and on up into the laterally elastic section 41, being retained in pockets suitably formed, as vby means of tapes stitched at 54 to the inside of the garment. In

some garments it may be preferable to form the stays 53 in discontinuous sections. For example, the garment may'be made with one section extending from the top of the section 41 to near the top of the section I8 with another section extending from that point down to the bottom of the portion 50. When the stays 54 are made in a single section, they may be curved outwardly to conform with the curve of the back of the wearer. The stays in the t-op part of the back of the garment prevent the top edge from rolling over. At the same time, circumferential stretching of the elastic material is not prevented by the stays.

I have found that garments constructed in the I manner described mould the waistline firmly, yet with comfort to the wearer and while permitting considerable freedom of movement. The deep elastic projection results-in increased freedom general significance in the art, and it will be understood that the latter term in particular is, to a certain extent, relative since all fabrics may be said to possess some degree of elasticity. Any

garment which has a lower back section which is substantially inelastic in the lateral direction in combination with a laterally elastic top section arranged in the particular manner herein disclosed, will be found to possess the advantages pointed out hereinabove. While it is preferred to form the downward extension of the laterally elastic top section with a V shape, it may be of other forms. The terms and expressions used herein have been employed as terms of description, and not of limitation.

I claim:

.1. A foundation garment comprising a bodyencircling member having a laterally elastic upper baci; section and a laterally inelastic lower back section adjoining and united with the upper section in the region of the waistline, said lower back section having a portion of its upper edge intermediate the ends thereof cut away to provide abruptly downwardly extending edges, said upper section having a part 4extending below the upper edge of the lower section and attached to said downwardly extending edges to provide adjustability in the upper portion vcf the lower tending edges, said upper section having a part lmediate the endsl thereof cut away to provide abruptly downwardly extending edges, said upper section having a part extending below the upper edge of the lower section and attached to said downwardly Vextending edges to provide adjustability in the upper portion of the lower section, and stays extending across the upper edge of said lower back section and attached to both said upper and lower back sections. v 4. A foundation garment comprising a body encircling member having a laterally elastic upper back section, a laterally inelastic lower back section adjoining and united with the upper section in the region of the waistline, said lower back section having the end portions of its upper edge substantially parallel with the waistline and an intermediate portion of said edge extended abruptly downwardly to provide a V-shaped cutout, said upper back section having a part extending below said upper edge of the lower section and oversaid cut-out, said upper section being stitched to said lower section along said upper edge thereof to provide adjustability in the upper portion of the lower back section, and

stays carried by said upper back section extending along the edges of said V-,shaped cutout.

' WALDEMAR KOPS. 

